Why Get Insurance?

If someone injures them self while you are teaching them, they may sue you and the studio that you work for.  It is important that you protect yourself because accidents can happen.  Depending on how injured that person may be, it could leave you financially devastated.   Don’t take chances, it’s not worth it.

Be a responsible instructor by educating yourself, and getting insurance.  For as little as $450 per year you can be completely covered for all your classes including all levels of Pole Fitness.  Remember, Provincial and National Fitness Organizations such as CanfitPro do not cover Pole Fitness!

Once you have registered to be a member of the CPFA you will have access to this insurance.  Don’t take chances with  your future!

Pole Dancing and Aerial Gymnastics is a great activity for exercise and empowerment.  There has been an increasing rise in both the number and quality of pole dancing studios in Canada over the past 10 years. Unfortunately, some studios are now struggling with Insurance coverage as insurers are pairing back risk and charging higher premiums. 4 years ago there were  9 insurers in Canada that would offer coverage for Pole Dancing Studios. Today there are 3.
While Aerial performance does have it’s dangers, there are tools you can employ to protect your clients and your business.

DUTY OF CARE
The law says you are responsible to keep invitees onto your premises free from harm. That duty is increased when they are paying you for a service. In a nutshell, you are responsible if someone is injured on your property. But there are ways to limit participants recourse against you, which I will outline below.

WAIVERS

Participant waivers are a great risk management tool. They are a contract which states the participant is aware the activity they are undertaking has risks and agree not to sue should they become injured. While waivers don’t always hold up in court, they are still an excellent risk management tool. I highly recommend you work with a lawyer to build a waiver that will work for your firm.

HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS

There is always potential for injury in any athletic endeavor. Minor injuries are normally dealt with quickly. However, when someone is ‘catastrophically injured’ the resulting lawsuit can drag on for years with damage awards in the millions. Underwriting information points to a much higher potential for serious injury at heights greater than 5 feet. Employing systems to restrict participants height can improve your over all risk tremendously.

PROGRESSION OF SKILL

Legally, you have a higher “Duty of Care” to beginner athletes compared to experienced athletes. Even with a signed waiver, it’s very easy for a beginner to claim that they didn’t understand the risks of pole dancing class. For this reason, we recommend you employ a logical progression of skill in your curriculum; with athletes demonstrating skill in beginner techniques before they can progress to the next level.
For keen readers check out the case of Fong v Deglan in BC. This was a tragic case where a young woman broke her neck and was rendered a paraplegic. She was a novice participant and alleged the coach was negligent in placing her in a “high risk” position, for which she was not aware of the risk nor prepared for the dangers she faced.

2010 BCSC 756 (CanLII) | Fong v. Deglan | CanLII

BACHELORETTE PARTIES / HOST LIQUOR

Bachelorette parties rarely account for more than 5% of revenues, but they are 80% of your risk.  Participants usually have little experience, and alcohol is often involved; which is a recipe for disaster. If you are involved in this line of business a strong anti-alcohol policy needs to implemented. Some studios will cancel the classes if participants are suspected to be under the influence with no refunds. I’d recommend something similar.

You need insurance – Contact Phil

Phil Webb
Account Executive

Metrix Professional Insurance Brokers Inc.
#1500-1166 Alberni Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E 3Z3
Direct 604 629 2678 | Cell 778 968 2710 | Phone 604 683 5583| Fax 604 683 8032
pwebb@mpib.com | www.mpib.com